CELINA MONTOYA

SPONSORED: The Women & Girls Development Fund supports nonprofit organizations that serve women and girls in the San Antonio area.

click to enlarge Flickr / Ed SchipulDemocrats spent big and dreamed even bigger in Texas this election cycle. The San Antonio seat of incumbent State Rep. Steve Allison — one Dems had targeted to flip — remains in Republican control with challenger Celina Montoya falling seven points short. "At the end of the day, they were trying to run against incumbents," said veteran Democratic political consultant Laura Barberena. "I think Democrats' success in 2018 in the Texas House was picking the low hanging fruit," he said. "Trinity University Political Science Professor Juan Sepulveda said Democrats had reason to be excited about 2020, especially new Latinx voters joining the rolls.

While the top of the ballot has received the most attention, the balance of the Texas House of Representatives is also at stake. For the first time in years, Democrats have a chance to flip the 150-member Texas House, which has been controlled by Republicans for more than a decade. The stakes couldn’t be higher, since next legislative session will include redistricting, the once-in-a-decade process by which the Texas Legislature draws district maps for Congress and state legislative seats. To gain control of the House, Democrats would need to pick up nine seats. There are 18 to 22 state House races that Democrats are targeting.

Editor’s note: Get election results on our homepage and Vote 2020 page. While the top of the ballot has received the most attention, the balance of the Texas House of Representatives is also at stake. For the first time in years, Democrats have a chance to flip the 150-member Texas House, which has been controlled by Republicans for more than a decade. There are 18 to 22 state House races that Democrats are targeting. More key races for Congress, Texas Senate, County CommissionersAside from the Texas House and president, there are several high-profile federal-, state- and county-level races that have local implications.

Incumbent Steve Allison up early in House District 121 race11:20 p.m. — As he did in 2018, Steve Allison has beat Celina Montoya to remain the representative in House District 121. Democrats were hoping to flip the seat in an effort to win the Texas House, but Allison held the edge as the incumbent. 7:44 p.m. — Incumbent Republican Steve Allison holds the early lead against Democrat Celina Montoya. BackgroundIn a crucial rematch of the 2018 midterm elections that Democrats are counting on in November in hopes of flipping the Texas House, incumbent Republican Steve Allison is facing Democrat Celina Montoya in House District 121. Texas House District 121 (KSAT/Brittney Daniels)The Republican defeated Montoya in the 2018 Midterm Election by 8% of the vote.

click to enlarge Courtesy Photo / Celina Montoya CampaignCelina Montoya speaks at a Tuesday presser while officials from teachers unions look on. "Celina Montoya claims she’s endorsed by this teacher group," a narrator says as an image of the AFT logo flashes onscreen with a red slash through it. The state's Republican leadership has also turned its back on teachers and school staff during the pandemic, she added. It's probably time for [Allison] to take a look at that curriculum again. "In 2018, Allison beat Montoya by eight points for the District 121 seat, and Democrats have made this year's race a high-priority target as they look to flip the Texas House.

In a crucial rematch of the 2018 midterm elections that Democrats are counting on in November in hopes of flipping the Texas House, incumbent Republican Steve Allison is facing Democrat Celina Montoya in District 121. According to Allison’s campaign website, his priorities include property taxes, public education and job creation. According to Montoya’s campaign website, education, health care and gun safety are among her priorities. According to Texas Elections Commission, Montoya outraised Allison by nearly $150,000 between July 1, 2020, and September 24, 2020. If Montoya wins the election, she would be the first Democrat, the first Latina and the youngest person to represent District 121, according to her campaign website.

House District 119House District 119 wraps around the South and East sides of San Antonio. House District 121House District 121 begins near Alamo Heights and stretches north of Loop 1604. In November 2018, Republican Steve Allison won the seat after longtime Speaker of the Texas House Joe Straus retired. Allison previously served on the Alamo Heights Independent School District board and last session sat on the House Public Education Committee. She said the greatest accomplishment of House Bill 3 was providing additional resources for individual students and addressing educational equity.